A Mother's Duty
by DivineProjectZero
Summary: "Please, for your child's damn sake, look at her. Look at her! She's yours! Don't kill her, don't!" Regarding the issue of Sakineh Ashtiani and her execution. A mother's life is at risk.


**This is a real life, dire situation. Please read this and the information on the bottom. Please, there is a life on the line here.**

* * *

Ewa was confused.

She was performing justice. Allah forbid her from doing her duty, and this was ever so righteously her deed to be done. It didn't matter that it hurt to watch. It didn't matter that the screams echoing down the halls haunted her day and night. Sinners deserved to be punished. Sinners could not be forgiven. Sinners must pay.

If pain and death was the only path to repent, so be it.

This was justice.

Yet there were so many voices, telling her to stop. Begging, screaming, crying, pleading. So many voices, so many people! They all told her to stop, let the woman go. Let the poor girl go back to her family alive and well. But Ewa could not do that. Allah would be ashamed, he would surely be so disappointed in Ewa. And Ewa could not afford to have Allah, almight and powerful Allah, be displeased with her.

"Non, non, non! Don't do it, don't! Let her go, mon cher! She has no fault!"

That was France, hand in hand with his people as he called out for her to stop, please stop, and loosen her grip on the throat of her dear child.

What did the French nation think? That she _wanted _to do this? That Ewa wanted to kill this woman, a mere girl to her eyes, who was part of herself?

_(But don't you want to?)_

Ewa shushed the voice in her mind and pushed it into a far corner of her mind. She would not let doubt consume her. She would not let Allah and her people down.

"She has children. Her sons cry for her! Let her go home, do not commit such a barbaric act and kill her without mercy."

Brazil was constantly calling her home, side by side with his proud woman president and reasoning with Ewa. Barbaric? Why was justice barbaric? This _woman_ was barbaric. This girl that Ewa was ashamed to call her daughter, too ashamed to even look straight in the face, was the barbaric one. This girl had sinned; she had committed adultery! She had to die.

Ewa heard sobs. She heard laments. She heard uncountable and indescribable woes and requests from everywhere. She heard this adulteress' sons beg for their mother's life. She watched this wretched woman's lawyer fight for another day. She felt the protests from millions of people, from outside her home and from the inside, protesting the girl's death.

"You are holding innocent people! Do you truly think that your justice is fair? Open your eyes!"

The bellows of Germany echoed in her mind. Two of his people were contained in Ewa's prisons, along with the sinner's son and lawyer. But it was not Ewa's fault. Germany's people had come to meddle with the affairs of Allah. Journalists, they thought they were so almighty. Allah would prove them wrong. He would show the world justice.

The sinner would be killed and justice would take place.

"Please, we beseech you to cancel your execution! She does not deserve this death."

Canada, with his ever so gentleness, implored for justice. But that wasn't justice! Letting a sinner go, without a punishment, could not possibly be justice! Allah would be terribly angered if she let such a filthy sinner free.

_(But no, it's about the people. It's about pleasing your people, about quenching that bloodlust—)_

Ewa was determined. This was a trial. Allah was testing Ewa, and Ewa refused to break. She would not succumb to evil and the devil's words.

"You are torturing and humiliating people who have not committed a crime worthy of such punishment. We ask you halt this immediately and release the poor woman"

Always the authoritative, England stood tall and proud with his people and monarchy behind him. Ewa was not fooled. He and his people knew nothing about the ways of Allah and her people. He would never know. Never understand.

_(Isn't it you who does not understand? Is it not you who has closed her ears and eyes and pretend that this is all fine?)_

Nobody knew, nobody would ever understand! Ewa had to punish this woman. She had to kill this girl! It could not be avoided, or the wrath of Allah would devour her and her people together.

_(Is that who Allah is? Is he as cold and unmerciful as that? Was not Allah compassionate and loving? Was Allah not our father?)_

Ewa shook her head. No, she could not be hindered by other people and other nations! This was her duty and she would not forsake it.

"What kind of duty is that, to kill one of your people without mercy? She's a mother of two children; you are a mother yourself! She is your daughter, for God's sakes. You own daughter! Have you forgotten her face, how she was born and how you held her and rocked her to sleep? Have you forgotten how you blessed her and cherished her and raised her with love?"

That was America's voice.

"Please, for your child's damn sake, look at her._ Look at her! _She's yours! Don't kill her, don't!"

America who knew nothing, just like the rest of them. America, who thought she forgot the day her baby girl was born. America who thought that Ewa no longer remembered the first time the child laughed and how the girl danced and how the baby grew to be a woman that Ewa was proud to call her child.

How dare he.

"I didn't forget!" Ewa hissed vehemently. "I _never _forgot! The way she smiled and laughed and loved, I never forgot any one of those!"

_(The way she cried and screamed and begged for her life. What about those memories?)_

"Do you even love her?"

Ewa could not tell who the voice was anymore.

"Of course not!" _Of course I do._ "She is a sinner!" _She is my daughter._

Tears were dripping down her face. She was sobbing. And Ewa did not know why it all hurt so much anymore.

"Then stop."

They were all there. All those nations. Black eyes, blonde hair, fair skin, green irises, brown braids, tanned arms. Everyone. Telling her to let go of it. Let go of the blade pointed at her baby's heart.

"I can't." Ewa whispered.

America stepped forward one more. "Iran, please."

The Islamic Republic of Iran shook her head, tears slipping from her eyes as she trembled and wept. She could not do this. Allah, she could not tell her people to stop. Not by herself.

"Help me."

Allah, save my child.

* * *

**/ Currently, Sakineh Ashtiani is a woman held prisoner in Iran. She was unjustly accused of adultery and then even accused of the murder of her late husband. She was scheduled to be stoned to death before, but millions of protesters managed to postpone the execution.**

**Now, however, Sakineh is scheduled to be hanged to her death. She has already been tortured and publicly humiliated. Her son and her lawyer, who had been campaigning to free her, have been arrested and tortured as well. NOt only that, but two German journalists and other foreigners suspected of attempting to interview Sakineh's family have all been arrested and detained. People worldwide are signing a petition to save her life and calling Iranian embassies around the world and asking for her life to be spared. Brazil, Canada, UK, and USA all have made their stand and are asking for the execution to be halted, and he execution has been successfully delayed. But Sakineh's life is still in danger.**

**I am asking for any help, please, to save this woman's life. All it takes is a few minutes. Copy and paste the following link (delete all spaces in between) and go enter your name and email, which will indicate that you signed the petition. You could also post information on twitter or facebook or email it to others. It's easy and all you have to do is click buttons once you sign the petition.**

**http: / .org /en / 24h_to_save_sakineh**

**It's only your name, email, and country that they want to know. Please take a few minutes and help save this woman's life. Thank you.**

Allah - Islam term for God

Ewa - Persian name. Means "mother."


End file.
